Srinagar: Year 2017 began with Met office forecasting 72 hour dry spell in the Kashmir valley, where capital, Srinagar, remained coldest though there was half a notch improvement in the minimum temperature.
People continued to freeze at Leh and border town of Kargil at minus 11.5 degree and minus 10.2 degree respectively.
However, there is possibility to end the more than five months long dry spell as Meteorological department has predicted isolated, fairly widespread and scattered rain or snow on January 4, 5 and 6 respectively.
The first 72 hours of New Year will witness dry and cold weather in the Jammu and Kashmir, a Met department spokesman told UNI.
He said this was the longest dry spell in about four decades. However, for the past few years it has been noticed that there is very less rain or snow until February and March when there was moderate to heavy snowfall.
Though there was some improvement in the night temperature but people in the Kashmir valley continued to shiver as the night temperature remained sub zero temperature.
Srinagar, where business and other activities remained crippled due to strike though good number of passenger and private transport was on the roads, remained colder than world famous ski resort of Gulmarg and famed health resort of Pahalgam.
Against yesterdays minus 4.3 degree, the minimum temperature in the city was minus 3.8 degree, still two notches below normal.
Met spokesman said the sky would be mainly clear and the maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 12 degree and minus 5 degree respectively on the Ist day of New Year.
There is though there was two degree drop in the minimum temperature at famed ski resort of Gulmarg but it was still warmer than Srinagar. Against yesterdays 0.0 degree, the minimum temperature there was minus 1.6 degree, still more than 4 notches above normal. Ski slopes are yet to receive major snowfall this year, keeping tourists and skier away so far.
There was no large change in Pahalgam, the famed health resort, where the minimum temperature was minus 3.3 degree, about two notches above normal.
Gateway of Kashmir recorded minus 3.2 degree, about a notch below normal, Kupwara minus 3.3 degree and Kokernag minus 0.3 degree, which was two notches above normal.
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